


Makeshift Therapy

by autisticatboy



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Implied Emotional Manipulation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 12:09:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20425757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autisticatboy/pseuds/autisticatboy
Summary: The thing about getting unwarranted advice from a conspiracy bot, is that it's incredibly hard to take it to spark.





	Makeshift Therapy

**Author's Note:**

> not a fixit by any means i just. hate getaway. and i have Words that i want tailgate to Hear and then ignore bc hes being MANIPULATED but i want it to be THERE for him !!!

“Tailgate, I really don’t think you should be hanging around Getaway.”

A pair of Autobots sat at a table in Swerve’s, previously chatting idly -- until Getaway himself had interrupted the conversation. Just for a moment - long enough to extend a harmless offer of window-shopping, since they were coming up on a trade planet. Tailgate had cheerfully agreed -- but Touch-Tone sat with servos clenched. 

“What? Why not?” He tilted his head concernedly. “He’s super nice!”

“He is,” Touch-Tone conceded, “but… I don’t know, something is _ off _about him to me.”

Tailgate drew little shapes in the table with his digit. “What... do you mean?” 

He sighed as he leaned back in his seat. “You mentioned that he was telling you stuff about Cyclonus, right? Like, that he was saying mean things behind your back?”

Tailgate withdrew, just slightly. “I mean, yeah,” he said, “but he’s only trying to look out for me! Getaway, I mean.”

He frowned behind his faceplate. “It certainly seems that way,” he conceded, “but I don’t think he _ is _ , Tailgate. I think- I think he’s trying to drive a _ wedge _ between you and Cyclonus.”

He looked offended on Getaway’s behalf. “Why would he do that? He’s been nothing but sweet to everyone on this ship since he got here! He’s part of the reason we got off of Luna-1 alive in the first place!”

Touch-Tone groaned. “No, I know he is, Tailgate,” he huffed, “but _ think _ about it. He starts telling you these things that he has _ no _ proof for-- these things that paint Cyclonus in a _ very _ harsh light, and paint him as this kind spark who just wants to look out for you. And then he starts offering to spend all this time with you, dragging you further and further away from Cyclonus all the while.”

He leaned further back, his servo coming up to massage his temple. “And the thing is, Tailgate - I _ know _ Cyclonus. Not very well, but well enough. I _ trust _ Cyclonus. When it comes down to it, he’s fully prepared to sacrifice himself to save the people he cares about, and that _ includes _ you. It’s applicable to _ you _ more than it is _ anyone _ else on this ship, in fact.”

Tailgate was silent, staring at the glass he held in both servos. Touch-Tone hardly noticed.

"And I don't know anything about Getaway, beyond that he's good with words and getting people to do what he wants. He's good at getting people to trust him quickly."

His vents were shaky. He really didn't like what was being implied, but couldn't muster the words out of his vocalizer.

“My point is, Tailgate,” Touch-Tone said, leaning his forearms onto the table, “is that things just aren’t adding up, to me. Cyclonus was worried _ sick _ about you when you had cybercrosis, and he was _overjoyed_ when you pulled through. He didn’t show it the same way other bots might have, but it was easy to see that he felt better knowing you were going to make it through. And he always seems to be so at _ ease _ around you.”

Before he could continue, Tailgate muttered, “How do you know?”

“How do I _ know _ ?” Touch-Tone repeated. He settled his chin onto his servo. “You have a point there-- I _ don’t _ know. But what I _ do _ know is…”

He dug his digits into his palm, scraping away paint.

“I find myself trusting _ Megatron _ more than I trust Getaway. _ And _ I know you should talk with Cyclonus -- a proper spark-to-spark.”

Tailgate’s servos held tighter to his glass. 

“I’m… gonna go recharge.”

Touch-Tone nodded. “Rest well, Tailgate. And keep safe.”

Tailgate couldn’t help feeling that they were empty words.


End file.
